Interest-paying savings bank

ABSTRACT

An interest-paying savings bank having a coin container provided with a savings coin receiver and an interest coin magazine with gate means adapted to release coins from the magazine into the container and actuating means responsive to the placement of a savings coin in the receiver for actuating the gate means and releasing an interest coin from the magazine into the container. The container having transparent window means so that the operator may watch an interest coin being deposited automatically in response to the placement of a savings coin in the receiver of the container.

United States Patent [191 Bauer et al.

[ Jan.7, 1975 INTEREST-PAYING SAVINGS BANK [73] Assignee: said Bauer, bysaid Krzyston [22] Filed: July 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 379,358

4/1937 Kloess ..Q l94/48 2,622,365 l2/l952 Grow ..232/4R PrimaryExaminer-Robert B. Reeves Assistant ExaminerH. Grant Skaggs [57]ABSTRACT An interest-paying savings bank having a coin containerprovided with a savings coin receiver and an interest coin magazine withgate means adapted to release coins from the magazine into the containerand actuating means responsive to the placement of a savings coin in thereceiver for actuating the gate means and releasing an interest coinfrom the magazine into the container. The container having transparentwindow means so that the operator may watch an interest coin beingdeposited automatically in response to the placement of a savings coinin the receiver of the contamer.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures INTEREST-PAYING SAVINGS BANK BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION It has been desirable to teach children and other personsto save money and to recognize the possibility of receiving interestonmoney placed in the bank. It has been desirable graphically to helpchildren recognize the possibility that money saved may grow relative tothe interest paid thereon by conventional savings account practices,normally offered by banking institutions. Prior art savings banks forchildren have heretofore been provided with simple means for receivingcoins which are to be saved. However such banks have not contained anymeans for graphically portraying the interest paid on a savings accountsuch as those managed by banking institutions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to aninterest-paying savings bank adapted graphically to illustrate the payment of interest in response to the placement of a savings coin placedin the savings bank. The invention applies a novel interest coinmagazine adapted to contain several coins such as pennies or the likeand this magazine is in the container body of the bank and provided withan opening at the outside thereof for receiving a plurality of interestcoins such as pennies which a father or parent may place in the magazineand this magazine is provided with a gate operable in response tosavings coins placed ina receiver of the main container of the savingsbank so that an interest coin such as a penny may automatically bereleased from the magazine each time a savings coin is placed in themain container receiver.

Additionally the container is provided with windows which may provide avisual view of the interest coins being automatically released from themagazine when the savings coins are inserted in the receiver of the bankcontainer.

The invention comprises simple lever means for operating the gate and itis provided with a pair of stops concurrently operable and spaced apartso as to release one coin from the magazine while holding back theremaining coins in order that each movement operation of the gate meansreleases one coin at a time in response to the placement of a savingscoin in the receiver of the container. The leverage means of theinvention between the magazine release gate and the savings coinreceiver is such that the savings coin merely lands on one end of thelever and tilts it for actuating the magazine gate means which isconnected to the opposite end of the lever. The mechanism of the gatemeans and the magazine outlet communicating with the interior of thebank container as well as the areas in which the savings coins andinterest coins drop into the container are readily visible throughtransparent window means in the side of the container so that childrenor other persons may visually witness the deposit of interest coins inthe container in response to the deposit of respective savings coins inthe receiver of the container. Accordingly, it is an object of thepresent invention to provide an interest-paying savings bank whichgraphically illustrates to children or other persons interest paid onsavings deposited in the bank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means fordepositing interest coins in response to the deposit of savings coinsand to provide visual inspection means so thatthe automatic deposit ofthe interest coins may be observed in response to the deposit of savingscoins in the receiver of the bank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple and reliablemeans for operating a mechanism adapted to deposit interest coins in thebank in response to the deposit of savings coins therein.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from thefollowing specifications. appended claims and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 of the drawings is aperspective view of an interest-paying savings bank in accordance withthe present invention. and showing portions of the container thereofbroken away so as to amplify the illustration and to expose details ofthe interest coin magazine and the savings coin receiver mechanism;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 22of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the interest coinmagazine taken from the line 33 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded view of the interest coinmagazine and coin release gate mechanism therefor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. I of thedrawings, a savings bank container 10 is adapted to act as a coinenclosure and is of a configuration which simulates a house with achimney and windows. The container is provided with a bottom 12, sidesand ends 14 and 16, and a roof 18 through which a simulated chimney 20extends. The chimney simulating structure is actually a savings coinreceiver having a coin receiving slot 22 adapted to receive savingscoins such as twenty-five cent pieces or the like. This slot 22 issubstantially vertically disposed so that coins inserted in the slot 22may gravitate into the interior 24 of the savings bank container 10.

As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the slot 22 communicates with asubstantially vertical coin guide 26 which is hollow and adapted toguide a coin shown by broken lines 28, downwardly into engagement with agate actuating lever 30 as will be hereinafter described.

The guide 26 is provided with a lateral opening 32 to allow a coin 28 tofollow a path 34 around an end 36 of the lever 30 when it is pivoted toa broken line position 38 by weight of the savings coin 28. The lever 30is pivoted on a pin 40 carried by the coin receiver housing 42 whichforms part of the chimney simulating structure 20 and supports the coinguide 26.

The lever 30 is provided with an opening 44 in which a link 46 ispivoted and the opposite end 48 of the link 46 is pivotally connected toa gate member 50 which is movable operable in relation to a normallylower end 52 of an interest coin magazine 54 which is shown best inFIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, but which is also shown in FIGS. 2 and 4of the drawings.

The gate member 50 is provided with a coin stop portion 56 whichreciprocates in an opening 58 in an upper portion of the interest coinmagazine 54. This magazine 54 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings isgenerally charinel shaped in cross-section and is secured to a side wall60 of the container opposite to the side wall 14 shown in FIG. 1 of thedrawings.

The gate member 50 is also provided with a coin stop portion 62 steppedrelative to the coin stop portion 56 and reciprocally movable in anopening 64 in a lower portion of the channel shaped interest coinmagazine 54.

The stop portion 56 shown in FIG. 4 is directed downwardly while thestop portion 62 is directed upwardly and both stops are fixed togetherby means of an interconnecting portion 66 of the gate member 50 so thatthese stops 56 and 62 operate in unison as indicated best by brokenlines in FIG. 2 of the drawings wherein the stop portions 56 may bemoved upwardly to clear an upper portion 67 of an interest coin 68 whilethe stop portion 62 moves upward to a broken line position 70 between alower most interest coin 68 and the remaining coin 68 in the decliningcoin magazine 54. Thus the upper portion 66 of the lower most coin 68clears the stop 56 when in its upper most broken line position 56 asshown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, thus allowing the lower most coin inthe magazine to escape through a delivery opening 72 at the lower end ofthe magazine 54 while the stop 62 in its broken line position 70 holdsthe remaining coins back. Thus one coin is delivered from the magazine54 each time a savings coin 28 tilts the lever 30 to its broken lineposition 38 and thereby moves the link 46 together with the gate member54 to move the stop portion 56 and 62 to the broken line position shownin FIG. 3 for releasing one coin from the lower delivery end 72 of theinterest coin magazine 54.

The interest coin magazine 54 is provided with an open end portion 76communicating with a slot 79 in the end 16 of the container 10 toreceive interest coins and a resilient plate spring 78 may be deflectedby the coin 68 as they are forced into the magazine 54. However thisplate spring 78 tends to be in the solid line position shown to preventcoins from falling from the magazine 54 and outwardly through the slot79 when the savings bank is tilted toward the side 16. Thus the member78 in the broken line position 80 as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawingsallows interest coins to be inserted into the magazine 54 by forcingthem against the member 78 and deflecting it to the broken line position88 following which it resiliently returns to the solid line position andprevents the coins from being lost from the magazine during tilting ofthe bank.

It will be understood that the invention encourages children or otherpersons to place savings coins in the receiver slot 22 and to visuallyexperience the payment of interest coins into the bank in responsethereto. Transparent windows 90 and 92 afford a view of the savingscoins falling into the interior 24 of the container 10 from the receiverslot 22 and from the delivery end 72 of the magazine 54 respectively.Accordingly it will be appreciated that children or other persons aregraphically taught the interest bearing principle relative to savingsplaced in the bank. A father or other parent may supply pennies or otherinterest coins to the magazine 54 as herein before described so thatthese coins will automatically be deposited in response to the placementof savings coin 28 in the receiver slot 22 and in each instance thesavings coin will operate or move the gate 50 relative to the magazine54 and cause the gate 52 to allow an interest coin to be deposited inthe interior 24 of the container 10.

It will be appreciated that the magazine 54 is inclined as shown in FIG.3 so that gravity is responsible for depositing the coins from themagazine 54 and into the interior 24 of the container when the gate 50is operated.

Additionally, it will appreciated by those skilled in the art that theleverage provided by the lever 30 corresponding to weight of the savingscoins is coordinated with the inclination of the magazine 54 and therelative weight of the gate 50 as well as its frictional engage mentwith the coin 68 in order to provide for reliable actuation of the gate50 as hereinbefore described.

The construction is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings has operatedvery reliably in a working model and the simplicity of the mechanismaffords troublefree, long like operating characteristics.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications of the invention may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A toy savings bank adapted to encourage children to save coins byimmediately rewarding them with an additional coin for each depositedcoin, said bank comprising:

' a. a coin input guide, said guide having one end terminating withinsaid bank;

b. a pivoted lever mounted within said bank, one arm of said leverextending into proximity with said end of said guide, said lever beingpivotally actuated by any coin passing through said guide;

c. a magazine disposed within said bank for temporarily storing aplurality of additional coins, said magazine including an input openingfor loading said magazine and a delivery opening for emptying saidmagazine into said bank; and

d. a gate member responsive to pivotal movement of said lever, said gatemember selectively releasing one of the additional coins from saidmagazine; whereby, a coin deposited through said guide causes anadditional coin from said magazine to be deposited within said bank andsimulate the payment of interest.

2. The bank as set forth in claim 1 wherein said magazine comprises achannel shaped member for storing the additional coins edge to edge inan upright position.

3. The bank as set forth in claim 2 wherein said magazine is inclined tourge the additional coins to roll toward said delivery opening.

4. The bank as set forth in claim 3 wherein said magazine is disposedwithin said bank and said input opening comprises a slot through a wallof said bank.

5. The bank as set forth in claim 3 wherein said magazine includes aspring for inhibiting removal from said magazine of the additional coinsthrough said input opening.

6. The bank as set forth in claim 3 wherein said gate member pivotallydepends from another arm of said lever and urges said one arm of saidlever toward said guide.

7. The bank as set forth in claim 6 wherein said gate member isreciprocally movable from a first position to a second position in thevertical axis in response to pivotal movement of said lever.

8. The bank as set forth in claim 7 wherein said gate member includes adownwardly extending portion for wardly extending portion and afurtheraperture for receiving said upwardly extending portion; whereby, saidupwardly and downwardly extending portions are insertable within saidchannel shaped member.

10. The bank as set forth in claim 1 wherein one wall of said bankincludes at least one window, whereby a child depositing one of saidcoins may observe the release of an additional coin into said bank.

1. A toy savings bank adapted to encourage children to save coins byimmediately rewarding them with an additional coin for each depositedcoin, said bank comprising: a. a coin input guide, said guide having oneend terminating within said bank; b. a pivoted lever mounted within saidbank, one arm of said lever extending into proximity with said end ofsaid guide, said lever being pivotally actuated by any coin passingthrough said guide; c. a magazine disposed within said bank fortemporarily storing a plurality of additional coins, said magazineincluding an input opening for loading said magazine and a deliveryopening for emptying said magazine into said bank; and d. a gate memberresponsive to pivotal movement of said lever, said gate memberselectively releasing one of the additional coins from said magazine;whereby, a coin deposited through said guide causes an additional coinfrom said magazine to be deposited within said bank and simulate thepayment of interest.
 2. The bank as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidmagazine comprises a channel shaped member for storing the additionalcoins edge to edge in an upright position.
 3. The bank as set forth inclaim 2 wherein said magazine is inclined to urge the additional coinsto roll toward said delivery opening.
 4. The bank as set forth in claim3 wherein said magazine is disposed within said bank and said inputopening comprises a slot through a wall of said bank.
 5. The bank as setforth in claim 3 wherein said magazine includes a spring for inhibitingremoval from said magazine of the additional coins through said inputopening.
 6. The bank as set forth in claim 3 wherein said gate memberpivotally depends from another arm of said lever and urges said one armof said lever toward said guide.
 7. The bank as set forth in claim 6wherein said gate member is reciprocally movable from a first positionto a second position in the vertical axis in response to pivotalmovement of said lever.
 8. The bank as set forth in claim 7 wherein saidgate member includes a downwardly extending portion for inhibiting thepassage of an additional coin adjacent said delivery opening when saidgate member is in said first position and an upwardly extending portionfor inhibiting movement of the penultimate additional coin adjacent saiddelivery opening when said gate member is in said second position;whereby, only one of the additional coins is released during each cycleof reciprocal movement of said lever.
 9. The bank as set forth in claim8 wherein said magazine includes an aperture for receiving saiddownwardly extending portion and a further aperture for receiving saidupwardly extending portion; whereby, said upwardly and downwardlyextending portions are insertable within said channel shaped member. 10.The bank as set forth in claim 1 wherein one wall of said bank includesat least one window, whereby a child depositing one of said coins mayobserve the release of an additional coin into said bank.